The moves by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to reconcile its members ahead of the 2023 general elections appear to have hit the rocks following unresolved issues and latest upheavals in some state chapters of the party.
President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the APC in February 2020 named Chief Bisi Akande, the former Interim National Chairman of the party as the Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of the party.
The initial chairman, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, was dropped after some party members, especially in Edo APC, accused him of alleged bias in the political crisis that rocked the state before the governorship election.
Other members of the Akande-led committee included governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello; Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola; Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Wase; Sen. Umaru Tanko Al-Makura; Sen. Kashim Shettima; Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor; Alh. Nasiru Aliko Koki; Sen. Khairat Gwadabe-Abdulrazaq, and Sen. Binta Garba.
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Credible party sources said the committee has not achieved much since its formation and party members are worried that the party may go into the 2023 elections more polarised than it is presently.
While some party members have blamed the outbreak of the COVID-19 as a major impediment to the committee’s work, others blame the indifference of Akande to the assignment owing to the latest developments in the party, especially alleged attempts by some power brokers to humiliate his ally, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos and the party’s national leader.
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According to a credible source in the party, who was asked to compare the pace of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Reconciliation and Strategy Committee led by former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and that of the ruling party, many APC members are not really feeling the impact of the reconciliatory efforts of the Akande-led committee and are calling for change.
Aside some unresolved crisis in states like Kwara, Imo, Osun, Ogun, Edo, Ondo, Zamfara, and Rivers which are being managed silently, they also cited the latest developments which led to an open confrontation between Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara State and the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and the altercation between Governor Hope Uzodimma and Senator Rochas Okorocha.
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He said: “As you are aware, the Akande-led committee was inaugurated in February 2020.
“That was when COVID-19 outbreak started in Nigeria and this greatly affected the work of the committee as they couldn’t do much.
“Some have said the committee could have deployed the use of technology such as zoom, but we all know that in resolving crisis, that method of virtual meeting won’t be as effective as having a one-on-one meeting where the warring parties will sit together and even embrace after the issues are resolved.”
However, another party source said Akande is not really keen about the task after he and other leaders’ opinion were not sought before the party leadership embarked on the ongoing party registration and revalidation exercise.
Akande had publicly criticised the exercise as an aberration and a waste of money considering the economic situation of the country.
“Many of us in the party believe that Papa Akande is not really keen about the reconciliation exercise owing to certain developments in the party.
“The first is the sidelining of party leaders by the current national executives of the party, led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, especially on the ongoing membership registration exercise.
“The second is also the issue of alleged attempts to humiliate his ally, Asiwaju Tinubu, over his perceived presidential ambition.